The Boy in the Park

Chapter Forty-Four

Naruko blearily opened her eyes to the white ceiling of the hospital. She looked around, trying to find the window and see what time it was, what hour…maybe Aniki was already awake?

She didn't need to look far, since they had apparently placed her in the same room as him.

He was laying on the hospital bed, a book held with his fingers over the top of his chest, his gaze lingering on the pages. He flipped a page.

He had yet to see her, but he was alive and well and that…that made her happy.

He was fine.

She hadn't brought Sasuke back, but her Aniki was still there.

"Aniki," Naruko muttered —well, she croaked that out. She didn't feel pain anywhere, but she did feel tired.

He looked towards her and then smiled, closing the book.

"Hey," he softly said. "Seems like it really was no big deal at all," he added with a light chuckle. "I'll be fine by tomorrow…the Godaime insists I can leave with you tomorrow morning, rather than suffer you in the hospital for more than a day."

Naruko grumbled something about the 'grumpy baa-chan', but he just kept up his hesitant smile. "Naruko…did…did Sasuke harm you?"

"No," she shook her head as she carefully stood to a sitting position on the side of her bed. She bit her lips. "He didn't. I…I don't know about the rest of the team," she looked around. "Who carried me here?"

"Ah…that would be your sensei," Shinku replied as he watched the girl wobble on her feet and then move forward, towards him. "You shouldn't be walking, you know that?" he added softly.

"Dun'care," she muttered.

"New ways of killing the language, lesson five, by Naruko Uzumaki," he chuckled. "It's 'I don't care', Naruko."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes as she gripped on the side of his bed and then hoisted herself up. The next instant, she was next to him, her head resting against his arm. "What'cha reading?"

She actually asked that with a childish tone, which made him sigh and flip open the book again.

"A book on Tax Deductions."

Naruko pouted and snuggled her face closer to his side. "That's boooring," she whined.

"Someone has to do them," he retorted. "What are you, five years old?"

"Yep!" she grinned toothily at that, a puff of smoke turning her into the Child-Naruko. "Onii-tan, read me a story pwetty pwease!" she blinked with her wide doe-eyes that sparkled blue, and he just closed the book on taxes —it was boring anyway.

How she managed to change her appearance and form so easily, was something he'd never understood.

Wasn't the Henge supposed to be an illusion?

"Very well," he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment to think about it.

"Once upon a time," he began, "There was…a princess."

"Did she kick ass?"

"Naruko! Language!" he chided her softly, as the girl groaned.

When she did not say anything else, he continued. "She was…pretty, I suppose."

"Uh? How can you suppose that? I'm sure she was pretty, Aniki," Naruko pouted. "Yeah, and she kicked a…butts everywhere."

"Am I telling the story, or are you telling it?"

"Fine," Naruko rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. "She was still awesome anyway."

"She lived in a castle, atop the highest tower there was…and she had long, blond locks that she brushed daily."

He waited a beat for Naruko to interrupt. When she didn't, he continued. "She was trapped into the tower, because an evil witch held her imprisoned."

"But she kicked her butt and was free to leave," Naruko said then. "Then she found an awesome Aniki and went on a thousand of adventures battling dragons, wizards and evil monsters!"

"Yep," he remarked calmly.

"It was pretty short for a story, Aniki," he sweat dropped when she said that. "Tell me another?"

"You know I should be resting?" he hazarded with an awry smile, as he closed his eyes. He could feel Naruko move next to him, in her 'Moe' form.

"Sorry," she said earnestly. Then, he felt a soft something touch his chin and he carefully cracked open an eye. Had Moe-Naruto just given him a quick peck on the cheek?

She was completely red in the face however. "I…" she stammered out. "Family kisses on the cheek, right?"

He slowly brought his right hand on the back of Naruko's head, and then gently pushed her forward to his. Her eyes widened for a moment…

As he kissed her on the forehead.

"Ah…Ah! I…ehm…I think…I should go sleep! Yeah!" she then turned around on the bed, giving him her back, and gripped on his arm before mocking the most fake-sounding snores ever to be done.

He supposed she was just acting like a scared kid who nearly lost her father.

Shizune entered the room a few hours later, and then brought a hand to her mouth, startled. She held the exclamation in her throat as she watched one of the cutest scenes ever to be born beneath the sun of Konoha in front of her eyes.

There was a Moe-Naruko sleeping, drooling slightly over Shinku's chest. The boy too was asleep, a book held within the fingers of his right arm, which was surrounding Moe-Naruko's frame. Both were sleeping, with Shinku's face slightly down on Naruko's hair, as if he was just about to give her a kiss on the head.

Shizune's heart melted.

Maybe it was her age —she was still young, but putting up a family was actually starting to come sooner and sooner in her head— but…she just had to take a picture.

Naruko frowned. She had heard a sharp click.

She groaned and carefully pried open an eye. She felt fine now. She knew all that she needed would be just a nap and then she'd be able to go back home.

She felt warm though, warm and held close.

It felt…nice. She remembered those times she had slept alone through nightmares, or woke up alone in the empty apartment that was hers.

Then Aniki had come around, and she hadn't been alone any longer. He had stayed.

She gazed into his still sleeping form, before hearing the click again. She turned her face to the source…

And nearly face-vaulted.

Shizune, Baa-chan's apprentice, had a dribble of blood down her nose as she was taking pictures of her with a camera.

"Aw…" she cooed. "Little Naru-chan woke up? Is she a fussy baby? Uh? Uh? Do you need…"

"Shizune-neechan…" she grumbled rubbing her eyelids, make a small yawn.

"KAWAIiiiii…" Then, Shizune fell on the ground covered in blood.

Naruko puffed back into her normal form, and then turned around to fall asleep once more. Whatever it was, it could wait.

She wasn't going to let Aniki out of her sight again. If she had to cling to his arm in order to do so…well, she didn't mind.

One point that Shinku pretty much had come to terms with, within the last few hours, was that Naruko really had no sense of decency.

His gaze was upwards towards the ceiling after all…for a very simple reason.

He was in the hospital gown.

Naruko was in one too.

Said hospital gowns, of course…were tied on the back only by a thin strap.

Needless to say, Shinku knew, he just knew, someone was going to levy against him the charges of being a paedophile. Still, as he watched Naruko sleep…he exhaled softly.

He actually wondered why Shizune was on the floor bleeding heavily, but he decided to file it up as 'another random act of madness' that ninjas tended to do.

Naruko moaned slightly, turning around and gripping on his shoulder strongly, her face buried into his side.

"Naruko," he softly whispered. "Ehi, come on," he muttered.

"I'll…protect Aniki…'ttebayo…" she murmured in her sleep.

He just chuckled at that, shaking his head slowly as he let her be.

Well, no use fighting it…she'd have to wake up eventually…right?